Letter: Support for Route 30 project

I support the proposed Route 30 Project, which will benefit Weston by:

• Saving Weston taxpayers $20M on a necessary paving project
• Improving the road and path with safer intersections and crossings for Weston residents, pedestrians and cyclists
• Reducing carbon consumption and traffic by promoting bicycle transportation
• Providing a crucial link between similar pathways that are being built in neighboring communities.

Some of the concerns expressed by project opponents are exaggerated. One commentator stated that 900 to 1,000 trees were going to be cut.  The true number is 360 trees, and because the existing tree canopy is in decline, only 22 of these are in excellent or good health.  The plans call for re-invigorating the existing canopy by planting at least 250 trees, a one-for-one replacement for every removed tree that is in fair or better condition.  To put this number in perspective, a developer clear-cutting a 1.5 acre lot can take down this many trees on just one lot. Further, any short-term impact to the tree canopy should be weighed against the environmental benefits of reducing both carbon usage and Route 30 vehicular traffic by enabling cyclists to reach public transit at Riverside or Waltham.

The road will soon have to be repaved. With large capital projects pending for the fire station and school, we should not ask Weston taxpayers to foot that bill, when we can use the TIP. As with any construction, there will be temporary environmental impacts, but these impacts will occur whenever the road is repaved, whether funded by the Town or the TIP, and will be outweighed by the long-term environmental benefits.

In the Route 30 project, we have the opportunity to make Weston safer for pedestrians and cyclists, honor the Town’s commitment to reduce our carbon footprint, and save significant taxpayer dollars.

Laurie Bent, Conant Road